Washington, DC – Tonight, before a gathering of theatre artists and patrons, theatreWashington announced the nominees for the 2016 Helen Hayes Awards, drawn from 202 eligible productions presented in the 2015 calendar year. Named for actor Helen Hayes – a Washington native and legendary First Lady of the American Theatre – the Helen Hayes Awards celebrates excellence in professional theatre throughout the Washington region and has become a hallmark recognized by theatre makers and theatre lovers far beyond the Beltway.

The announcement of nominees in 47 categories was held in the National Theatre'sHelen Hayes Gallery, where invited guests learned that 53 theatres produced 202 eligible productions, including 59 world premieres. Included were 56 musicals and 146 plays, along with 15 Theatre for Young Audiences Productions, 15 Visiting Productions.

theatreWashington President and CEO Amy Austin commented, “Reading through the list of nominations gives you a tangible, immediate experience of the breadth and depth of this theatre community. It’s an amazing range of work from an amazing range of theatres. I couldn’t be more proud than I am supporting theatre artists and the audiences they serve.”

Coordination of the nominations process is a year-round, complex endeavor. Over the course of 2015, a pool of 40Helen Hayes Awards Judges submitted a total of 21,936 scores for 2,940 individual pieces of work (design, direction, choreography, etc.). Of those scores, 1,499 were for acting performances alone.

The result this year is a roster of 236 nominations drawn from 79 productions at 35 theatres. The inaugural Women’s Voices Theater Festival, which garnered international attention in the fall of 2015, was recognized with 14 nominated productions, including six for world premiere plays and musicals.

The annual Helen Hayes Awards Tribute sponsored by the late Jaylee Mead and the Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership in the Theatre Community will be announced shortly, as will the date and venue for the annual Helen Hayes Award gala celebration.

The administration and celebration of the Helen Hayes Awards is just one element of theatreWashington's mission, which is to strengthen, represent, and support all segments of Washington's professional theatre community, including theatre companies, artists, staff, and diverse audiences of all ages. Over more than three decades of support and advocacy, theatreWashington has played a vital role in the transformation of the city's cultural identity, with the resulting revitalization of the community as a whole.